An Osun State High Court, located in Iwo, has sentenced an Islamic cleric, Kabiru Ibrahim, to death by hanging for the murder of his 25-year-old client, Lukman Adeleke.
Ibrahim, an Alfa, faced charges of conspiracy, murder, and theft, in violation of Sections 324, 319(1), and 390 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 34, Laws of Osun State.
Justice Lateef Adegoke, in delivering the judgment, ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced Ibrahim to death by hanging for the murder charge.
According to a statement from Opeyemi Bello, the Information Officer of the Ministry of Justice, obtained in Osogbo on Wednesday, May 28, the prosecution team, headed by Abiodun Badiora, informed the court that Ibrahim served as a spiritual consultant to the deceased.
Badiora stated that the deceased had consulted the cleric, disclosing his plan to buy a piece of land, and Ibrahim instructed him to bring the money for an overnight prayer before making the payment to the vendor.
However, after the prayer session, Adeleke disappeared. During the search for him, his family received information from an informant that he was last seen on the day he visited Ibrahim’s residence.
“When the family confronted the cleric, he initially denied seeing the deceased for over two weeks. However, a community member refuted his claim, stating he had taken Adeleke to the cleric’s house the day before his disappearance,” the statement read.
“The matter was reported to the police, and during interrogation, Ibrahim confessed to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) that he had murdered the deceased.
“He led authorities to the Ilesa/Akure expressway, where Adeleke’s remains were found inside a sack. One of his palms had been severed. Photographic evidence was tendered in court.
“The prosecution called six witnesses and presented several exhibits, including Ibrahim’s extrajudicial confession. It was also revealed that Ibrahim had stolen N300,000 from the deceased on August 24, 2016.”
The statement further noted that the defendant’s counsel (name withheld) failed to respond to the prosecution’s final written address.
In his ruling, Justice Adegoke found Ibrahim guilty of both murder and theft, sentencing him to seven years in prison for stealing and death by hanging for the murder.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
